This Is Why Your Attempts to Eat Healthy Are Backfiring

You really, really thought you were going to do it this time. No sugar. No bread. More vegetables. Regular workouts. You even dropped some dough on a few fancy kitchen gadgets and stocked your fridge with kale and kombucha. So why are you sitting on the couch scraping the last bite from a pint of Chunky Monkey?

“I just need more discipline,” you tell yourself. “I’ll have to work out extra hard tomorrow to make up for this. Ugh, I’m so weak.”

It’s natural to blame your own lack of willpower for your inability to achieve your health and fitness goals. After all, everyone tells you self-discipline is what’s needed for success. No pain, no gain. Just suck it up and do what you need to do. Right?

Wrong.

Self-control is not the answer to long-term health, because that isn’t how your brain works. Underlying the concept of willpower is the idea of making yourself do things you don’t want to do. In other words, it is based on suffering. But as you probably know, your brain does everything in its power to help you avoid this sort of self-torture.

Your brain gets tired when you’re constantly relying on willpower, just like your muscles get tired when you hit the gym 7 days in a row. And when your brain is running low on energy, you default back to something far easier and more comfortable: habits.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Prevention participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.